![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
estinose"Catch My Fall" is part of the "Building Family" series, cowritten with Tptigger. It happens during/after the episode "Brothers In Arms". (Needless to say, spoilers for that episode.)
All of "Building Family" focuses on the relationship between Hunter, Blake, and Cam, particularly as brothers. It was written to answer the question of where Hunter and Blake lived, and kind of snowballed. "Catch My Fall" is very much brother-focused, which is not too surprising given that "Brothers in Arms" was rather Hunter-focused. A lot of the fic focuses on the motives of the three brothers during the episode as they deal with it.
Not surprisingly, since this is the two of us, there's the standard Tptigger and Estirose stuff. Blake and Hunter go for Tofutti Cuties, and Cam goes to play an Intellivision title (Snafu) on his Powerbook.
Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow. No copyright infringement is intended.
Authors' notes: We're sorry about the long delay, a combination of RL issues, overaggressive Dino Thunder plot kittens, and maybe just a need for a break got in the way. We've got a bit of a surprise in the works we're hoping will make up for it.
Catch My Fall
by Beth Epstein and Selma McCrory
"Have the Winds got him distracted yet?" Blake asked, shifting nervously in his and Cam's hiding place, trying to peek around Cam.
"Blake, stop moving or he'll spot you," Cam admonished, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder to keep it still. "Shane's calling him out. It kinda depends if he heard.
"I can't help it," Blake said, tapping his foot impatiently, face contorted with concern. "The sooner we get to Hunter the happier I'll be."
Cam returned to watching the area tensely, leaving Blake to watch the area around him. Which probably would have been somewhat interesting to look at any other time, but not at the moment.
Blake took deep breaths, trying to keep calm, trying not to panic. He had to be there for his big bro.
"Blake, relax, you'll hyperventilate," Cam said gently, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder.
Blake stepped away a bit, uncomfortable with accepting Cam's comfort at that moment. "Hunter's..."
"Going to be fine," Cam said fiercely, shifting so that he could keep his hand on Blake's shoulder. "You and I will protect him. That's what brothers do." He squeezed Blake's shoulder firmly.
"He... he...." Blake stammered, unable to get a sentence out.
"He's OK, Blake," Cam said. He frowned. The Winds needed to get a move on, Blake was going to be frozen by panic if they didn't find him something to focus on soon. "He'll be OK if I have to make him better by sheer force of will."
"Your word on that?" Blake asked, suddenly wanting Cam's reassurance like air. "He can be...."
"Stubborn, I know," Cam said, acknowledging the thing that the three of them had in common. Him and Hunter especially. "But you guys are getting better in the admitting department."
"Who us?" Blake asked reflexively. He knew that he and Hunter were still pretty bad at asking for help.
"Yeah, you," Cam said. Motodrone finally came out of the warehouse on his bike.
"Come on, come on!" Blake said impatiently. Finally Motodrone followed the Winds away from the warehouse. He and Cam snuck in, hunting for Hunter's signal. "Where is he?" Blake asked.
Cam craned his neck, trying to see over the dusty boxes. He caught sight of a flash light from some equipment and tapped Blake's shoulder and pointed in the direction he thought Hunter was.
Blake's morpher beeped and Blake glanced at Cam--so much for keeping quiet. "Go for Blake."
"It's Tori!" The Blue Ranger sounded out of breath as she spoke. "We really need your help as soon as you can."
"Right," Blake said, frowning. He didn't like where this was going. "As soon as we know what's going on with Hunter one of us will be out."
"It may have to be Cam who stays," Shane added, sounding regretful and winded at the same time. "He's team medic don't forget."
Blake rolled his eyes--as if he needed reminding who was better able to help Hunter. "How can I forget?" But he couldn't leave Cam to rescue Hunter alone--it's not like they'd be able to just waltz in there and grab him.
"OK, go find Hunter, we'll hold him off as long as we can," Shane said, thudding something in the background. "Shane out."
* * *
After Perry was seen safely home, Blake, Hunter and Cam returned to Ninja Ops, all three tired out from the battle, some more than others.
"Hunter, what the hell were you thinking, coming out with that bike like that?" Blake snapped at Hunter as they tried to relax in the Rec Room, his frustration getting the better of him. "You'd had your Ranger energies drained. You should've been resting, not fighting."
"Good thing I did, you'd have fallen off a cliff!" Hunter countered, snapping back. He ran a hand through his hair.
"That's not the point!" Blake exclaimed, surprising even himself. "You're lucky you're still alive."
Hunter glared at him, clearly shocked he was the one getting the lecture. "Right back at you, little bro!"
"At least I wasn't risking my health... at least any more than we usually do." Blake fired back, glaring at Hunter harshly.
Hunter balked, but recovered quickly. "So you want to fall off a cliff? Why are you bagging on me?"
"You said I could bag on you later when you grabbed me." Blake grinned cheekily. "It's later."
"He's got a point," Cam said softly, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Cam, don't help," Hunter snapped--clearly not wanting any interference in this.
Blake rounded on Cam, as if just noticing he was in the room. "What were you thinking letting him take that bike out?"
"It was attuned to him," Cam answered. "The opportunity was there, they shared the energies. Why not use it?"
"He'd almost been destroyed!" Blake snapped, furious at the one who supposedly looked after the health of the entire team. "You promised me you'd take care of him!"
"He did!" Hunter argued, rounding on Blake. "He got me on my feet. It was the middle of battle! What do you expect!" He stepped in front of Cam, so that Blake could no longer see their teammate and sometime brother.
"You to have some sense!" Blake insisted. "Both of you. Especially Cam."
"I out-stubborned him," Hunter insisted right back. "That bike had me written all over it! It was meant to be mine!"
"Hunter, you're too important to be taking stupid risks!" Blake snapped, moving around so that he could glare at Cam once again, wondering why he hadn't stopped Hunter's insane motivations. Only his oldest brother wasn't there--apparently he'd left Hunter and Blake to work things out on their own.
Good.
"You're the one who fell off a cliff!" Hunter held his arms wide in frustration. "And you're too important to be doing that."
"Shut up!" Cam exclaimed, trying to clear the conversation. He simultaneously handed them purple and red popsicles.
Hunter and Blake stared.
"Grape?" Blake asked.
"The Blue's more Tori-colored." Cam sighed. "Dad thought that would work."
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances.
"You went to your Dad over this?" Hunter asked.
"Look, Blake," Cam said, "I couldn't get Hunter out of there without him taking the bike with him--not without a week to study the thing anyway. It was still imprinted with his energy. Now that it's done its job and Hunter's OK without it, I'm not fixing it."
"What?" Hunter asked, incredulously, motioning with the popsicle. "You have to fix it! It gives us an advantage in the air."
"No, I don't," Cam said stubbornly, crossing his arms and turning away. "It was dangerous."
"But.. but... it was sick," Hunter said lamely, popsicle forgotten. "I've never ridden something quite like it.
"Yes, and now it's resting in pieces." Cam said calmly. "I am not fixing it. I'm taking it to the scrap heap where it belongs."
"Think how much good we could do with it!" Hunter exclaimed, motioning with his hands and almost hitting Blake with his popsicle.
"Serves you right for piloting it when you weren't up to it," Blake muttered, weaving in time.
Hunter turned beet red. "Blake, shut up. Cam, fix it."
"No," Blake and Cam said simultaneously.
Hunter sat down, still holding the popsicle. "Please?"
Blake looked at his brother, his anger fading and his hurt puppy dog expression coming to the fore. "Don't you care how scared I was?" Blake's voice was at a near whisper.
"How scared you were? Blake, you fell off a cliff," Hunter said, frowning.
"It happened!" Blake declared, unwilling to relent. "We nearly didn't find you in time."
"So what?" Hunter shot back, just as unwilling to give in. "You gave me a heart attack!"
"That would be pay back for the one you gave me!" Blake said, nearly yelling.
"That's it," Cam said, his patience gone, "You two argue, I'm going to go play Snafu on the PowerBook."
Hunter balked, but Cam was gone before he could say anything. "Aggh."
"Now look what you made him do," Blake said, accusingly.
"What I made him do?" Hunter bristled, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
"Yeah," Blake told him, looking at the door helplessly.
"I think you can't see you're at fault for anything right now," Hunter accused, frustration creeping into his voice.
"I'm freaked," Blake said meaningfully. "I mean, you got kidnapped. You were nearly destroyed. That's not part of the job!"
"Yes, Blake, sometimes it is," Hunter said quietly, planting a hand on Blake's shoulder.
"So is falling off a cliff," Blake pointed out. "It happens. It's part of being a Ranger."
"Yeah, well, you're my brother," Hunter said, taking a deep breath and seeming to calm down. "And my teammate. I had to be there, to catch your fall."
Blake flopped onto a nearby piece of furniture and buried his head in his hands, taking deep breaths once again.
Hunter sat down next to Blake, resisting the urge to hug him. "I didn't mean to scare you. "
"You did," Blake said simply. "Man, I thought I'd lost you!"
"All I could think of was that bike was meant for me." Hunter scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling horrible for what his brother had gone through.
"Getting to ride around on a bike that's cooler than all of ours put together?" Blake asked.
Hunter chuckled. "That was part of it. And I could get more air than Shane does with his air attacks."
Blake shook his head. "Look, bro, I know you're excited by a new piece of moto gear, but this isn't moto, it's our lives!"
"Yeah, but gear I know how to use to fight evil?" Hunter asked, leaning forward. "Good for protecting lives. Yours, mine, Cam's, the Winds'... most of Blue Bay Harbor's."
"Great, we're back to the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one," Blake said miserably, contemplating his melting popsicle. "Bro, sometimes I wish someone else had been chosen to be Rangers."
"Yeah," Hunter agreed. He paused, ruffling Blake's hair. "You're the one who wanted to stay here."
Blake collapsed against the arm of the couch, memories of that day on the beach springing up in his mind. "That again! Get over it."
"I am over it. I'm here, right? I'm living in the same building as the Winds' Sensei, right?" Hunter shook his head, wondering at all the changes going on in his life. "Look, Blake, I'm sorry. I did what I thought needed to be done."
Blake sighed, sitting up. "I'm sorry I snapped so much. I'm just... still freaked."
Hunter threw an arm carelessly around Blake's shoulders. "I don't blame you, bro. I like what Cam did to the bike. That doesn't mean I wanted to be Motodrone's chew toy."
"Just... try not to scare me like that again, OK? I think I gave Cam motion sickness from shaking him trying to get him to find you." Blake stared at the half melted popsicle in his hand, clearly a little embarrassed at his earlier panic.
Hunter grinned at the mental picture. "I'll try not to."
"Thanks, bro." Blake grinned at Hunter weakly.
"Do we even want to know what's in these popsicles?" Hunter asked, looking at the popsicle suspiciously.
"Sugar?" Blake asked, looking at his popsicle as well. "I don't know, it's like more on my hand than anything else, dude."
"Maybe we should ditch them and raid the Tofuttis," Hunter suggested, looking for the trash can.
Blake grinned, returning to his normally cheerful self. "Good idea. Race you to the fridge."
"Ok, on three," Hunter grinned, glad everything was back to normal. "One, two..." He took off running.
The End
All of "Building Family" focuses on the relationship between Hunter, Blake, and Cam, particularly as brothers. It was written to answer the question of where Hunter and Blake lived, and kind of snowballed. "Catch My Fall" is very much brother-focused, which is not too surprising given that "Brothers in Arms" was rather Hunter-focused. A lot of the fic focuses on the motives of the three brothers during the episode as they deal with it.
Not surprisingly, since this is the two of us, there's the standard Tptigger and Estirose stuff. Blake and Hunter go for Tofutti Cuties, and Cam goes to play an Intellivision title (Snafu) on his Powerbook.
Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow. No copyright infringement is intended.
Authors' notes: We're sorry about the long delay, a combination of RL issues, overaggressive Dino Thunder plot kittens, and maybe just a need for a break got in the way. We've got a bit of a surprise in the works we're hoping will make up for it.
Catch My Fall
by Beth Epstein and Selma McCrory
"Have the Winds got him distracted yet?" Blake asked, shifting nervously in his and Cam's hiding place, trying to peek around Cam.
"Blake, stop moving or he'll spot you," Cam admonished, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder to keep it still. "Shane's calling him out. It kinda depends if he heard.
"I can't help it," Blake said, tapping his foot impatiently, face contorted with concern. "The sooner we get to Hunter the happier I'll be."
Cam returned to watching the area tensely, leaving Blake to watch the area around him. Which probably would have been somewhat interesting to look at any other time, but not at the moment.
Blake took deep breaths, trying to keep calm, trying not to panic. He had to be there for his big bro.
"Blake, relax, you'll hyperventilate," Cam said gently, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder.
Blake stepped away a bit, uncomfortable with accepting Cam's comfort at that moment. "Hunter's..."
"Going to be fine," Cam said fiercely, shifting so that he could keep his hand on Blake's shoulder. "You and I will protect him. That's what brothers do." He squeezed Blake's shoulder firmly.
"He... he...." Blake stammered, unable to get a sentence out.
"He's OK, Blake," Cam said. He frowned. The Winds needed to get a move on, Blake was going to be frozen by panic if they didn't find him something to focus on soon. "He'll be OK if I have to make him better by sheer force of will."
"Your word on that?" Blake asked, suddenly wanting Cam's reassurance like air. "He can be...."
"Stubborn, I know," Cam said, acknowledging the thing that the three of them had in common. Him and Hunter especially. "But you guys are getting better in the admitting department."
"Who us?" Blake asked reflexively. He knew that he and Hunter were still pretty bad at asking for help.
"Yeah, you," Cam said. Motodrone finally came out of the warehouse on his bike.
"Come on, come on!" Blake said impatiently. Finally Motodrone followed the Winds away from the warehouse. He and Cam snuck in, hunting for Hunter's signal. "Where is he?" Blake asked.
Cam craned his neck, trying to see over the dusty boxes. He caught sight of a flash light from some equipment and tapped Blake's shoulder and pointed in the direction he thought Hunter was.
Blake's morpher beeped and Blake glanced at Cam--so much for keeping quiet. "Go for Blake."
"It's Tori!" The Blue Ranger sounded out of breath as she spoke. "We really need your help as soon as you can."
"Right," Blake said, frowning. He didn't like where this was going. "As soon as we know what's going on with Hunter one of us will be out."
"It may have to be Cam who stays," Shane added, sounding regretful and winded at the same time. "He's team medic don't forget."
Blake rolled his eyes--as if he needed reminding who was better able to help Hunter. "How can I forget?" But he couldn't leave Cam to rescue Hunter alone--it's not like they'd be able to just waltz in there and grab him.
"OK, go find Hunter, we'll hold him off as long as we can," Shane said, thudding something in the background. "Shane out."
* * *
After Perry was seen safely home, Blake, Hunter and Cam returned to Ninja Ops, all three tired out from the battle, some more than others.
"Hunter, what the hell were you thinking, coming out with that bike like that?" Blake snapped at Hunter as they tried to relax in the Rec Room, his frustration getting the better of him. "You'd had your Ranger energies drained. You should've been resting, not fighting."
"Good thing I did, you'd have fallen off a cliff!" Hunter countered, snapping back. He ran a hand through his hair.
"That's not the point!" Blake exclaimed, surprising even himself. "You're lucky you're still alive."
Hunter glared at him, clearly shocked he was the one getting the lecture. "Right back at you, little bro!"
"At least I wasn't risking my health... at least any more than we usually do." Blake fired back, glaring at Hunter harshly.
Hunter balked, but recovered quickly. "So you want to fall off a cliff? Why are you bagging on me?"
"You said I could bag on you later when you grabbed me." Blake grinned cheekily. "It's later."
"He's got a point," Cam said softly, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Cam, don't help," Hunter snapped--clearly not wanting any interference in this.
Blake rounded on Cam, as if just noticing he was in the room. "What were you thinking letting him take that bike out?"
"It was attuned to him," Cam answered. "The opportunity was there, they shared the energies. Why not use it?"
"He'd almost been destroyed!" Blake snapped, furious at the one who supposedly looked after the health of the entire team. "You promised me you'd take care of him!"
"He did!" Hunter argued, rounding on Blake. "He got me on my feet. It was the middle of battle! What do you expect!" He stepped in front of Cam, so that Blake could no longer see their teammate and sometime brother.
"You to have some sense!" Blake insisted. "Both of you. Especially Cam."
"I out-stubborned him," Hunter insisted right back. "That bike had me written all over it! It was meant to be mine!"
"Hunter, you're too important to be taking stupid risks!" Blake snapped, moving around so that he could glare at Cam once again, wondering why he hadn't stopped Hunter's insane motivations. Only his oldest brother wasn't there--apparently he'd left Hunter and Blake to work things out on their own.
Good.
"You're the one who fell off a cliff!" Hunter held his arms wide in frustration. "And you're too important to be doing that."
"Shut up!" Cam exclaimed, trying to clear the conversation. He simultaneously handed them purple and red popsicles.
Hunter and Blake stared.
"Grape?" Blake asked.
"The Blue's more Tori-colored." Cam sighed. "Dad thought that would work."
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances.
"You went to your Dad over this?" Hunter asked.
"Look, Blake," Cam said, "I couldn't get Hunter out of there without him taking the bike with him--not without a week to study the thing anyway. It was still imprinted with his energy. Now that it's done its job and Hunter's OK without it, I'm not fixing it."
"What?" Hunter asked, incredulously, motioning with the popsicle. "You have to fix it! It gives us an advantage in the air."
"No, I don't," Cam said stubbornly, crossing his arms and turning away. "It was dangerous."
"But.. but... it was sick," Hunter said lamely, popsicle forgotten. "I've never ridden something quite like it.
"Yes, and now it's resting in pieces." Cam said calmly. "I am not fixing it. I'm taking it to the scrap heap where it belongs."
"Think how much good we could do with it!" Hunter exclaimed, motioning with his hands and almost hitting Blake with his popsicle.
"Serves you right for piloting it when you weren't up to it," Blake muttered, weaving in time.
Hunter turned beet red. "Blake, shut up. Cam, fix it."
"No," Blake and Cam said simultaneously.
Hunter sat down, still holding the popsicle. "Please?"
Blake looked at his brother, his anger fading and his hurt puppy dog expression coming to the fore. "Don't you care how scared I was?" Blake's voice was at a near whisper.
"How scared you were? Blake, you fell off a cliff," Hunter said, frowning.
"It happened!" Blake declared, unwilling to relent. "We nearly didn't find you in time."
"So what?" Hunter shot back, just as unwilling to give in. "You gave me a heart attack!"
"That would be pay back for the one you gave me!" Blake said, nearly yelling.
"That's it," Cam said, his patience gone, "You two argue, I'm going to go play Snafu on the PowerBook."
Hunter balked, but Cam was gone before he could say anything. "Aggh."
"Now look what you made him do," Blake said, accusingly.
"What I made him do?" Hunter bristled, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
"Yeah," Blake told him, looking at the door helplessly.
"I think you can't see you're at fault for anything right now," Hunter accused, frustration creeping into his voice.
"I'm freaked," Blake said meaningfully. "I mean, you got kidnapped. You were nearly destroyed. That's not part of the job!"
"Yes, Blake, sometimes it is," Hunter said quietly, planting a hand on Blake's shoulder.
"So is falling off a cliff," Blake pointed out. "It happens. It's part of being a Ranger."
"Yeah, well, you're my brother," Hunter said, taking a deep breath and seeming to calm down. "And my teammate. I had to be there, to catch your fall."
Blake flopped onto a nearby piece of furniture and buried his head in his hands, taking deep breaths once again.
Hunter sat down next to Blake, resisting the urge to hug him. "I didn't mean to scare you. "
"You did," Blake said simply. "Man, I thought I'd lost you!"
"All I could think of was that bike was meant for me." Hunter scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling horrible for what his brother had gone through.
"Getting to ride around on a bike that's cooler than all of ours put together?" Blake asked.
Hunter chuckled. "That was part of it. And I could get more air than Shane does with his air attacks."
Blake shook his head. "Look, bro, I know you're excited by a new piece of moto gear, but this isn't moto, it's our lives!"
"Yeah, but gear I know how to use to fight evil?" Hunter asked, leaning forward. "Good for protecting lives. Yours, mine, Cam's, the Winds'... most of Blue Bay Harbor's."
"Great, we're back to the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one," Blake said miserably, contemplating his melting popsicle. "Bro, sometimes I wish someone else had been chosen to be Rangers."
"Yeah," Hunter agreed. He paused, ruffling Blake's hair. "You're the one who wanted to stay here."
Blake collapsed against the arm of the couch, memories of that day on the beach springing up in his mind. "That again! Get over it."
"I am over it. I'm here, right? I'm living in the same building as the Winds' Sensei, right?" Hunter shook his head, wondering at all the changes going on in his life. "Look, Blake, I'm sorry. I did what I thought needed to be done."
Blake sighed, sitting up. "I'm sorry I snapped so much. I'm just... still freaked."
Hunter threw an arm carelessly around Blake's shoulders. "I don't blame you, bro. I like what Cam did to the bike. That doesn't mean I wanted to be Motodrone's chew toy."
"Just... try not to scare me like that again, OK? I think I gave Cam motion sickness from shaking him trying to get him to find you." Blake stared at the half melted popsicle in his hand, clearly a little embarrassed at his earlier panic.
Hunter grinned at the mental picture. "I'll try not to."
"Thanks, bro." Blake grinned at Hunter weakly.
"Do we even want to know what's in these popsicles?" Hunter asked, looking at the popsicle suspiciously.
"Sugar?" Blake asked, looking at his popsicle as well. "I don't know, it's like more on my hand than anything else, dude."
"Maybe we should ditch them and raid the Tofuttis," Hunter suggested, looking for the trash can.
Blake grinned, returning to his normally cheerful self. "Good idea. Race you to the fridge."
"Ok, on three," Hunter grinned, glad everything was back to normal. "One, two..." He took off running.
The End
![](https://p.dreamwidth.org/83f72dde4d2a/-/ravenhyde.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/5268_custom.gif"){kind=icon}